One of the most interesting aspects of having a new baby is watching them grow through all the developmental stages. Most new mums and dads will have done some reading about what to expect during the first year, but seeing it happen is rather different.

It is exciting to watch your baby as they change almost every day. At first you will be just getting to know your baby and learning the different cries so that you begin to understand what they want. You will notice their jerky, uncoordinated movements, especially when they are excited, for instance when feeding.

Then comes the magic moment of the first smile and from then on it seems that they are in a race to see how much more they can do. They reach the stage of being able to hold up their head and will now seem much more alert and interested in what you are doing and what else is around them. Rolling from back to front may come soon and before you know where you are, you can’t take your eyes off them for a minute without them moving away from where you had put them.

Crawling or bottom shuffling will follow and by now you will probably be having reciprocal conversations with your baby, even if you are not sure what the language is.

By now, you have a strong relationship with this small person, who is no longer just a baby.